Alp D’ Huez

Despite their many similarities, sports and theater don’t tend to mix much. Bucking that trend is promising Philadelphia playwright John Rosenberg’s Alp d’ Huez. Named for the legendary mountain that often proves to be the decisive climb in the Tour de France bike race, Rosenberg’s drama takes place in a Paris hotel room where a married man is forced to choose between his wife and a woman who shares his passion for cycling. Set in 2004 during Lance Armstrong’s attempt to win a record sixth consecutive Tour de France, the production by Hella Fresh Theater begins with a short film, which is available at thepapermilltheater.com. Inspired by a friend’s disastrous vacation, Rosenberg says he wrote Alp as a way to “explore strange passions and the willingness to abandon family and friends because of a shared connection.” And if you can’t ride your bike to the company’s Kensington theater, Hella Fresh offers theatergoers in Center City rides to and from the show for a mere $10. -J. Cooper Robb